Complementary and alternative medicine in the scientific literature

To analyze the frequency and typology of scientific papers on complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) published in the period 1997-2002.

We performed a systematic literature search of MEDLINE in order to identify all articles dealing with CAM, in the human setting, published from January 1, 1997 to December 31, 2002. Our attention was focused on randomized controlled trials conducted on CAM and on the impact factor (IF) of the journals in which CAM articles were published.

During the period 1997-2002, a total of 20,209 articles about CAM were published, representing the 0.7% of the total number of MEDLINE-listed articles. Approximately 50% of CAM articles published in 1996-2002 appeared on journals with no IF. The proportion of randomized clinical trials was 7.6% of total CAM articles.

There is an upward trend in the number of CAM articles but the number of experimental studies is low and over half of articles are published in journals without an IF. We believe there is an urgent need to conduct rigorous research in the field of CAM in order to support, for the need of the public, an evidence-based approach to these therapies.